Loose-leaf binder



Jan. 3, 1950 -A. GILBERT 2,493,065

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed July 51, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ALFRED (iuLBERTInventor Attorney Jan. 3, 1950 A. GILBERT I 2,493,065

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed July 31, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ALFRED GILBERTj Inventor gin Attorney- Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTgreases OFFICE Application July 31, 1946, Serial No. 687,266 In GreatBritain April 4, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patentexpires April 4, 1965 3 Claims. 1 'This invention concerns improvementsin or jrelating to loose leaf binders, and the invention has especialreference to thong and post binders. In thong binders as at present madeit is usual ,'to secure one set of ends of the thongs to one ,of thecovers of the binder and to secure the other set of thong ends to atensioning bar housed within the other cover of the binder, such barbeing adjustable relatively to the cover by means .of operatingmechanism comprising a nut or .equivalent part fixed upon the bar andworking -.upon a long screw housed within the thickness of the coverextending parallel to the top and ..bottom edges of the cover, suchscrew being lmounted for rotation, but not axial movement ,in bearingsin the cover. One end of the said ..screw is disposed adjacent the freeend of the lbinder cover (that is, the end opposite to the .hinged end)and is adapted to receive a detachable crank handle or a key by whichthe screw may be rotated to adjust the said cross bar, through theco-operation of its nut with the said screw, relatively to the bindercover in order to tighten or slacken the binding thongs. In a postbinder it is usual to employ a binding bar (which may form an integralpart of one of the covers of the binder or may be a separate element)which is furnished with holes into or through each of which projects abinding post which may be locked in the hole, for example,

by being gripped by a locking slide slidably carried by the binding barand adapted to be slidden longitudinally relatively to the latter byoperating mechanism including screw and nut means. ,In these postbinders the said screw and nut means comprise a screw threaded spindlemount- .ed in the binding bar and co-operating with a .screw threadednut or nut-like part, the spindle being operated by a detachable keyadapted to 'be engaged with one end of the spindle which is disposedwithin one end of the binding bar.

The present invention is to an operating mechl'anism for the clamping orlocking means for :loose leaf binders and has for its object toeliminate the use in loose leaf binders of detachable handles or keysfor actuating the said operating mechanism, for the use of detachablehandles .or keys has very serious disadvantages. For example, if the.handle or key is not available I the binder cannot be opened or, ifalready opened, .cannot be locked in the leaf retaining or closedposition; there is a grave danger of the handle for key being lost ortemporarily misplaced; there ,is usually some delay caused by themanipulation lof the handle or key necessary to engage it with the saidscrew of the operating mechanism; and also the end of the handle or keyengaging the screw or the end of the screw or both these parts becomeworn and inefiicient or, where these parts are provided with a hole,such hole becomes choked with fluff or the like thus rendering itnecessary to clear the hole before the handle or key can be engaged withthe sore-w.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more thoroughlyunderstood and the method of carrying same into eifect may be morereadily carried into practice, the invention is hereinafter describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, and by way of example, asapplied to thong binders and post binders. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a part sectional plan view of the upper cover of a thongbinder embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a section on line lI-l I, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing in detail the operatingmechanism for the cover-adjustment means employed in the binder to whichthe cover shown in Figures 1 and 2 belongs;

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary perspective views further illustrating aportion of the operating mechanism shown in Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the invention appliedto one form of post binder;

Figure '7 is a part sectional plan view of the binding bar of the uppercover of the binder shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a part sectional. elevation on line VIIIVIII, Figure '7.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings it will be seenthat the loose leaf thong binder, the upper cover of which is thereillustrated, is of the kind which comprises upper and lower coversbetween which the loose leaves are clamped, and wherein the covers aredrawn together and on to the loose leaves by thongs which pass throughthe leaves and over guide rollers, or equivalent devices, supported inbinding bars with which the covers are provided. The

upper binder cover shown comprises a binding bar I to which the mainpart of the cover 2 is hinged at 3 and 4. Two spaced parallel thongs 5and 5 are provided and these thongs pass through slots 1 in the bindingbar I and over rollers (not shown) carried by this bar. The

thongs also pass through the leaves between the covers of the binder andover rollers in the binding bar of the lower cover of the binder and arefixed, at their lower ends, to the said lower cover.

The upper end portions of the thongs 5 and 6 are housed within the uppercover of the binder, the part 2 of which cover is made hollow to receivethe thongs and the mechanism associated therewith and. subsequently tobe described. The extremities 8 and 9 of the thongs 5' and E are securedto a cross bar l extending perpendicularly between them and having a nutll fixed centrally thereto and provided with a. bore l2? perpendicularto the bar 19. The said bore is internally screw threaded for engagementwith a rotary operating screw l3 passing through the nut and rotatablymounted adjacent its oppositeends respectively in brackets 14 and Isecured to the bottom wall [6 of the cover part 2,so as to be housedwithin the latter. Although the screw I3 is rotatable in the bearings l4and; [5 it is restrained against axial movement in these bearings, thisbeing. effected in the example shown, ,by providing the screw with anenlarged collar ll engaged between the two end portions [3 and i9 ofthebracket [5.

The binder is closed or opened respectively to lock the leaves thereinor to release the leaves 101- removal, by rotating. the. screw l3 in theappropriate direction. which causes the cross bar l6, through the mediumof the nut H, to be moved along the screw l3 in one. direction or theother depending upon thedirection of, rotation of the screw.

The parts of the thong. binder so far described are constructed more orless along the normal lines.

In applying the present invention to a thong binder of the kind above.referred to the screw [3 isprovided-with a reduced plain extension 2.0(see particularly Figures 2 and 3) which terminates at a distance fromthe outer free end 2i of. the. binder cover part 2. Upon the. screwextension 20. is mounted a coupling element which, in the exampleillustrated, is in. the form or a .sleeve. or tube 22. whiehis. capableof being slidden axially along the extension 20. The extent to which thesleeve 22 may be slidden upon the. ex-

tension 211 islimited by a-fiXed radial pin 23 carried by the screwextension and working in a longitudinal slot 24' provided in the. sleeve22. The pin 23 also provides a connection between the screw extension 20and the sleeve 22 so as to ensure that the extension will rotate with.the

.sleeve.

A friction device is provided to restrain the sleeve ZZirom too free anaxial movement upon the screw extension 28, this. friction device con.-veniently comprising a spring ring 25 mounted in an. annular eccentricslot 26- in and adjacent one enclof the sleeve 22,. the arrangementbeing such that a portion ofthe inner periphery of the ring 25 bears.resiliently upon the periphery of the screw extension 20.

In the. outer end of the sleeve 22,, that is the end remote-from thescrew extension 26, is. fixed coaxially the inner end of an outwardlyextending pin 26a. having. a. head 21. The pin is secured in the sleeveby meansof a cross pin 28 passing through the pin and the sleeve.

Upon the pin 26a, between the outer end of the sleeve 22 and the head27' at the pin, is mounted an operating lever, knob or button 29 of anysuitable form, but which conveniently is of approximately a rectangularparallelepipedon form.

This lever knob or button which will, for the sake of. brevity,.'bereferred to in this description as. a lever is of a size such that itcan be housed within a recess 3i] provided in the outer perimetrlcalwall 3| of the hollow cover part 2 of the binder and the recess 30 is ofa shape corresponding to that or the lever so that this fits snugly intothe recess.

On its inner side the lever 29 is provided with a cylindrical boss 32 ofthe same external diameter as the sleeve 22 and coaxial with the latter.The inner end of this boss is provided with angulmly spaced dog teeth orother suitable teeth or projections 33 adapted to engage incorrespondingly disposed and shaped recesses or notches 34 in the:adjacent end of the sleeve 22, the teeth 33 and notches 34 constitutingtogether a clutch whereby the lever 29 may be locked to the sleeve 22for the simultaneous rotation of these two parts as a unit for drivingthe screw I3.

The lever 29 is also provided with an internal recess 35 coaxial withthe pin 26a but of larger diameter than thispin, and upon the pin withinthe. recess 35,v is a helical compression spring 36 abutting atone endthe inner side of the head 21 of the pin 26a, and at the other endengaging the inner end of the recess 35 in the lever 29 so that thelatter is urged. inwardly along the pin 25a to engage the teeth or dogs33 of the lever with the sleeve. 22.

Ordinarily the operating lever 29 of the operating mechanism of thebinder will be housed entirely in the recess 30 in the free edge of thecover part2 so that the operating mechanism of the binder is allcontained within the boundaries of the binder cover. Such a condition ofaffairs is shown in full lines in the drawing. Assuming that, wi'th thebinder in this'condition, it is. desired to release the tension of thethongs of the binder, then this is efiected by first withdrawing thelever 29 from the recess 30 of the cover and beyond the edge 2i 01 thiscover, i. e. into the position indicated by dot and dash lines, Figure1.

The recess 30 on the binder cover is open 'at the upper side of thecover as shown in Figure 4 so as to expose the upper part of the leverto facilitate the latter being engaged manually to effeet the withdrawalof the knob or button 29 from the recess 30.

When withdrawn in this way the lever, through the medium of the spring36 and the pin 26a, draws the sleeve 22 axially outwardly along thescrew extension 20, this outward movement of the sleeve being limited bythe, engagement of the pin 23 of the screw extension with the inner endof the slot 24 of the sleeve.

Having been pulled out suthciently to clear the edge Zl of the cover 2.the lever 29' may then be rotated about its axis, and; by so rotatingthe lever the sleeve 22, engaged with the lever through the medium ofthe teeth 33 and notches 34', is also rotated and produces, through themedium of the pin 23, rotation oi the screw extension 20, andconsequently of the screw 13.

Rotating the screw IS in this way causes the nut H to travel endwise .onthe screw so that, it the lever is turned in the correct rotationaldirection, the thongs Sand 6' of the binder will be slackened to enableleaves to'be added or removed from the binder. Y g

If, after the adjustment of the tension of the thongs of the binder,it'is desired to return the operating lever 29 into the cover recess 30but the lever is. not properly aligned with. the recess 31) in thecover, that is if it is in some position such as that indicated inFigure 4, then the lever can be released from its engagement with thesleeve 22 by pulling it slightly further outwards '5 to disengage itsteeth 33 from the notches 34 of the sleeve 22 (which is held by the pin23 against further outward movement) whereupon the lever may be turnedabout its axis (independently of the sleeve) to the requisite extent tomove it from its oblique position with respect to the plane of the cover2 (Figure 4) into the plane of the cover (Figure 5) whereby the levercan then be pushed into the recess 30. In such a case the teeth 33 willnot be in engagement with the notches 34 of the sleeve 22, and the teethwill push the sleeve 22 a little further into the cover than willordinarily be the case (see Figure 1) and the slot 24 in the sleeve is,for this purpose, made suiiiciently long to allow for this additionalinward movement of the sleeve. The necessary clearance in the length ofthe slot just referred to is illustrated at 31 in Figures 1 and 2. Aclearance should also be allowed between the outer end of the screwextension and the inner end of the pin 26a.

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate the invention as applied to a post bindercomprising upper and lower covers 38 and 39 between which extend bindingposts 40, one only of which is shown in Figure 6. The binding posts arefixed at their lower ends in the binding bar 4! of the lower cover 39and at the upper parts each pass through a hole 42 in the upper bindingbar (generally indicated by the reference 43) of the upper cover 38. I

In applying this invention to a binder of this character in onearrangement the upper binding bar is made of tubular form and, in theexample illustrated, is of a substantially fiat rectangular or flattenedoval cross-section, the bar being rounded at its longitudinal edges asis clearly shown in the drawing; thus the binding bar is of more or lessnormal shape. Such a binding bar is adapted either for incorporation inthe cover 38 of the binder, as shown in Figure 6, or for use as aseparate clamping bar for mounting on the binding posts of a postbinder.

The binding bar is closed at one end (the end not shown in the drawings)and is open at the end 44, and between its ends the bar is provided withtwo or more of the holes 42 through which the binding posts pass. Whereit is desired that the binding post should not pass completely throughthe binding bar as shown in Figure 6,

the holes 42 may be provided only in the undertudinally extendingupturned flanges 43 which position the slide in the binding bar upon thebottom thereof. The slide is also provided with as many bindingpost-receiving holes 41 as are provided in the binding bar 43, thearrangement being such that the lccking slide can be adjusted so as tohave its holes in register with those in the binding bar to enable thebinding post to be introduced into the latter, and such that the slidecan then be slidden endwise relatively to the binding bar in order tolock the latter upon the binding posts.

The means for efiecting the longitudinal sliding movement of the lockingslide comprise a nut 48 secured, e. g. by welding, within the bindingbar 43 and extending transversely thereacross. In this nut is rotatablemounted a screw 49 arranged centrally along the binding bar and having,at its inner end, a reduced neck 50 engaged in a bifurcation 5| providedin an upturned lug 52 furnished at one end of the locking slide 45. Thuswhen the screw 49 is rotated in the nut 48,

6 the slide 45 is slidden endwise relatively to the binding bar 43 inone direction or the other according to the direction in which the screw49 is rotated.

The end of the screw 49 remote fromfthe looking slide 45 is constructedas hereinbefore described with reference to the thong binder illustratedin Figures 1 to 5. Thus the screw has a sleeve 22 mounted thereon forrotation with the screw but capable of axial movement relatively to thelatter, the sleeve carries the coaxial pin 26a and this has mountedthereon a lever similar 'to the lever 29 previously described and bywhich the screw is driven, but in this case the said lever is of aslightly difierent shape and is therefore marked with a differentreference numeral, namely 53. In this case the lever is of the same endshape as the binding bar 43 and this bar is made rather shorter than thenormal width (from its upper to its lower edge) of the binder cover sothat normally the lever 53 will lie within the boundaries of the binder.

The lever 53 is furnished with the clutch connection with the sleeve 22and operates in all respects in the same way as the operating mechanismdescribed with reference to Figures 1 to 5, it only being necessary towithdraw the lever 53 axially away from the binding bar 43 to bring thelever clear of the binder and the sheets bound therein in order toenable the lever to be rotated to release the upper cover of the binderfrom the binding posts or to clamp the cover upon the latter.

If at the end of the releasing or clamping operation the lever is in anoblique position it can, as explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5,be disengaged from the sleeve and rotated to brin it into properregister with the end of the binding bar '43 after which the lever ispressed inwards into end-to-end engagement with the binding bar. Toprevent the knob from accidentally becoming misaligned with respect tothe binding ,bar 43 the lever may have one or more projections 54 on itsinner end adapted for engagement in correspondingly shaped recessesformed in the adjacent end of the binding bar and/or the inner end ofthe lever may be reduced to fit into the open end of the binding bar asshown at 55, Fig ure '7.

In the post binder above described the screw 49 is axiall movable andthe nut 48 is stationary, but if desired the screw may be held againstendwise movement and the nut may be movable along the screw and beanchored to the locking slide 45 instead of the screw being anchored tothe latter, and in that case the adjustment of the locking slide wouldbe effected by the axial movement of the nut.

It will be understood that by this invention operating mechanism forloose leaf binders is provided which does not require the use of anindependent key or crank handle or equivalent device for the operationof the binder and in which the operating member is captively associatedwith the rest of the operating mechanism to actuate the operatingmechanism but which is housed within the superficies of the binder at anouter edge of the latter in an out of the way position when the binderis in normal use and not being operated for the insertion or removal ofleaves.

What I claim is:

1. In a loose leaf binder opening and closing means comprisin a screwand a nut rotatable relatively to one another to efiect axial movementof the one with respect to the other for opening or closing the binder,a sleeve mounted onone end of said screm'pin and slot means; con nectingthe said sleeve. and screwtogether tor unitary rotation whilst leavingthe sleeve and screw capable of relative axial movement,. a. coaxialheaded pin at one end of said sleeve and projecting beyond the end ofthe sleeve remote from the said screw, an operating lever rotatably andaxially adjustably mounted on the said headed pin, clutch means on theinner side of said lever, clutch means on the outer end of said sleeveand adapted to co-operate with said clutch means on the operating lever,and spring means urging said co-operating cIutch means into engagementwith one another, whereby the said operating lever is normally drivinglyconnected to said screw in all axially adjusted positions of the saidsleeve on the said screw but whereby the operating lever may bedisengaged from the said sleeve for rotational adjustment independentlof said screw.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of relatively adjustablecovers, means between these covers to carry loose leaves, and means forachieving the adjustment of said covers relatively to one another, suchmeans comprising a rotary screw mounted within one of the binder coversparallel to the major outer surfaces thereof, a nut on said screw, anoperating lever for rotating the said screw to produce relative axialmovement between the screw and the said nut for binder cover adjustingpurposes, a sleeve mounted upon one end of said screw, pin and slotmeans connecting the said sleeve to the said screw for unitary rotationtherewith whilst permitting relative axial movement between the screwand sleeve, a coaxial headed Din at one end of the said sleeve andprojecting beyond the end of the said sleeve remote; from the said screwand outwardly into a recess provided for housing the said operatinglever in an outer edge of the binder cover containing said screw, saidoperating lever being rotatably and axially adjustably mounted on thesaid headed pin and capable of being housed in the said. recess in therecessed binder cover, clutch means on the inner side of the said lever,clutch means on the outer end of the said sleeve and adapted toco-operate with the clutch means on the operating lever and spring meansfor urging said co-operating clutch means into interengagement, wherebythe said operating lever is normally drivingly connected to said screwin all axially adjusted positions of the said sleeve with respect to thescrew but whereby the operating lever may be disengaged from said sleevefor independent rotational adjustment to enable the operating lever tobe moved for stowage in the said recess in the recessed binder cover andwithin the thickness of such cover even if the operating lever does notoccupy such a stowed position at the end of any particular operation ofthe lever.

. 3. A. loose leaf thong binder comprising a pair of relativelyadjustable covers between which a. bundle of loose leaves may beclamped, at cross bar mounted adjustabl within one of the said bindercovers, at: least two spaced thongs at.- tached at one end; to said.cross. bar and, at: the other end, to the. other of said covers, abearing within the same cover as the said crossbar, a rotary screwmounted: in said bearing within the same cover parallel to the majorouter surfaces of this cover and said screw being restrained againstaxial movement in said bearing, a nut screwed onto said screw and alsoattached to said cross bar for movement therewith, an operating leverfor rotating the said screw to produce axial movement of the said nutwith respect to the screw for binder cover adjusting purposes, a sleevemounted upon one end of said screw, pin and slot means connecting thesaid sleeve to the said screw for unitary rotation therewith whilstpermitting relative axial movement between the screw and sleeve, aheaded pin projecting coaxially from the end of the said sleeve remotefrom the said screw and extending out, wardly into a recess provided forhousing the said operating lever in an outer edge of the binder covercontaining the said screw, said operat' ing lever being rotatably andaxially adjustabl-y mounted on the said headed pin between the head ofthe latter and the said sleeve and being capable of being housed in thesaid recess in the recessed binder cover, clutch teeth on the inner sideof the said lever, clutch teeth on the outer end of the said sleeve andadapted to co-operate with the clutch teeth on the operating lever and acompression spring disposed between the head of said headed pin and thebase of an axial recess provided in the said operating lever, for urgingthe said co-operating clutch teeth into interengagement, whereby thesaid operating lever is normally drivingly connected to the said screwin all axially adjusted positions of the said sleeve with respect to thescrew but whereby the operating lever may be disengaged from the saidREFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,174,792 Aichholz Mar. 7, 19:161,807,504 Brielle et a1 May 2.6, 1931 1,985,714 Bloore Dec. 25, 1934

